Juneau – Today, around 18,000 State of Alaska employees will receive pink slips. Unless the Alaska Legislature passes a budget in the next month, all non-essential state services will shut down July 1st.
I do not believe there will be a government shutdown. Making that prediction true requires that 60 legislators act as statesmen and stateswomen, and that they base their votes on facts, not the fiction some politicians use for a good TV soundbite.
Juneau – The members of the Finance Committee in the Alaska House of Representatives will spend all week examining Alaska’s fiscal policy and how policy changes will impact the Alaska economy. The committee will hear from business, municipal, labor, and tribal representatives in addition to presentations from the Alaska Department of Revenue and the non-partisan Legislative Finance Division.
I’d love to join those using the easy sound bite. I do believe in finding waste, and cutting it. I’ve voted against wasteful spending on legislative office buildings, the Knik Arm Bridge, the Susitna Dam, and other unaffordable projects.
JUNEAU—Today, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 68: Paper Reduction Act. The bill enjoys bipartisan sponsorship and builds on previous efforts to reduce the estimated $585,000 a year the state spends on designing, printing, and publishing agency reports.
Saturday is the annual “Anchorage Caucus.” A terrible name (who besides politicians uses the word “caucus?!” Anyway, it’s a listening session by Anchorage area legislators from 1 ’til 3 (and until 5 if there’s more public testimony) at the Anchorage Assembly Chambers at the Loussac Library.
This state has a history of railing against the federal government. Well, this is a part rail and a part call for personal responsibility so we get our own house in order.
Now that the political season is over it is time for all of us to come back together as a community and as a state and get back to work. There are a few things happening soon that I would like to draw your attention to.
